The State of the Economy

Graeme Leach

Chief Economist & Director of Policy, Institute of Directors

Biography

Graeme Leach is Chief Economist and Director of Policy at the Institute of Directors, which he joined in August 1998. He is also visiting professor of economic policy at the University of Lincoln and a Senior Fellow at the Economic Policy Centre. Graeme is currently researching a forthcoming book in 2011: Size Matters – Why downsizing the state could supersize the economy.

In 2006 he was appointed to the Shadow Chancellor's Commission for Tax reform.

Prior to joining the IoD he was economics director at the Henley Centre, analysing future economic and social change.

Previously Graeme has worked as economic adviser to the Scottish Provident Investment Group and as a senior economic consultant with Pieda.

He is a frequent media commentator and in recent years has spoken at conferences in the USA, China, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Sweden, Ireland, Belgium, Greece, Taiwan and even Zimbabwe!

Andrew Milligan

Head of Global Strategy, Standard Life Investments

Biography

He joined Standard Life Investments in 2000 as Global Investment Strategist before being appointed Head of Global Strategy in 2001.

Prior to this, he worked for HM Treasury and Lloyds Bank as an Economic Adviser, and Smith New Court as International Economist. In 1994 he was appointed Chief Economist with New Japan Securities Europe followed by Morley Fund Management in 1996 where he took up the position of Director of Economic Research & Business Risk.

Thomas Mayer

Chief Economist, Deutsche Bank

Biography

Thomas Mayer is Chief Economist of Deutsche Bank Group and Head of Deutsche Bank Research.

From 2002 to 2009 he was Chief European Economist at Deutsche Bank in London and co-head of the Bank’s Global Economics Group. Before Thomas Mayer joined Deutsche Bank in 2002, he worked for Goldman Sachs in Frankfurt and London (1991-2002), and for Salomon Brothers in London (1990-91). Before moving to the private sector, he held positions at the International Monetary Fund in Washington D.C. (1983-1990) and at the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (1978-82). In 1982, he received a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Kiel and is a CFA Charterholder since 2002.

Thomas Mayer has published numerous articles on international and European economic issues in professional journals and has commented on these issues in the media.

Roger Bootle

Managing Director, Capital Economics

Biography

Roger Bootle runs the consultancy, Capital Economics, which specialises in macroeconomics and the economics of the property market. He is also Economic Adviser to Deloitte and a Specialist Adviser to the House of Commons Treasury Committee. He was formerly Group Chief Economist of HSBC and used to be on the Chancellor’s panel of Independent Economic Advisers.

He has written many books including The Trouble with Markets, which analyses the deep causes of the recent financial crisis.